take over

Rumors that Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is setting himself up as candidate for the new president of the EU, to take the place of Herman van Rompuy, are "nonsense", said Deputy PM Lodewijk Asscher on Friday.

The Rotterdam bookshop of the bankrupt Polare chain may survive. A group of Polare employees announced on Monday that they have managed to collect enough money to take over the shop. It will be established on the Coolsingel under its old name, Donner, the Telegraaf reports.

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim and owner of América Móvil offered to take over Dutch phone company Royal KPN NV for 2.40 euro a share.

América Móvil which owns almost 30 percent of KPN, made the public offer in a statement today.

Last month América Móvil ended an agreement with KPN, after KPN agreed to sell its German business E-Plus to Spain’s Telefonica, that capped the stake of the Mexican company in the Dutch phone carrier at about 30 percent. Slim now has more freedom to use KPN to expand in Europe.